HowSrLauncelotandSrGawaneddbattletogether,andhowSrGawanewasoverthrownandhurtTHENSrGawaneandSrLauncelotdepartedagreatwayasunder,andthentheycametogetherwthalltherhorses’mghtastheymghtrun,andethersmoteothernmdstofthershelds;buttheknghtsweresostrong,andtherspearssobg,thattherhorsesmghtnotenduretherbuffets,andsotherhorsesfelltotheearth;andthentheyavodedtherhorses,anddressedthersheldsaforethem。Thentheystoodtogetherandgavemanysadstrokesondversplacesoftherbodes,thatthebloodbrastoutonmanysdesandplaces。ThenhadSrGawanesuchagraceandgftthatanholymanhadgventohm,thateverydayntheyear,fromundernetllhghnoon,hsmghtncreasedthosethreehoursasmuchasthrcehsstrength,andthatcausedSrGawanetowngreathonour。AndforhssakeKngArthurmadeanordnance,thatallmannerofbattlesforanyquarrelsthatshouldbedoneaforeKngArthurshouldbegnatunderne;andallwasdoneforSrGawane’slove,thatbylkelhood,fSrGawanewereontheonepart,heshouldhavethebetternbattlewhlehsstrengthendureththreehours;buttherewerebutfewknghtsthattmelvngthatknewthsadvantagethatSrGawanehad,butKngArthurallonly。
ThusSrLauncelotfoughtwthSrGawane,andwhenSrLauncelotfelthsmghtevermorencrease,SrLauncelotwonderedanddreadhmsoretobeshamed。
ForastheFrenchbooksath,SrLauncelotweened,whenhefeltSrGawanedoublehsstrength,thathehadbeenafendandnoneearthlyman;whereforeSrLauncelottracedandtraversed,andcoveredhmselfwthhssheld,andkepthsmghtandhsbradedurngthreehours;
andthatwhleSrGawanegavehmmanysadbrunts,andmanysadstrokes,thatalltheknghtsthatbeheldSrLauncelotmarvelledhowthathemghtendurehm;
butfulllttleunderstoodtheythattravalthatSrLauncelothadfortoendurehm。AndthenwhentwaspastnoonSrGawanehadnomorebuthsownmght。
WhenSrLauncelotfelthmsocomedown,thenhestretchedhmupandstoodnearSrGawane,andsadthus:MylordSrGawane,nowfeelyehavedone;
nowmylordSrGawane,mustdomypart,formanygreatandgrevousstrokeshaveenduredyouthsdaywthgreatpan。
ThenSrLauncelotdoubledhsstrokesandgaveSrGawanesuchabuffetonthehelmetthathefelldownonhssde,andSrLauncelotwthdrewhmfromhm。
Whywthdrawestthouthee?sadSrGawane;nowturnagan,falsetratorknght,andslayme,foranthouleavemethus,whenamwholeshalldobattlewththeeagan。shallendureyou,Sr,byGod’sgrace,butwtthouwell,SrGawane,wllneversmteafelledknght。
AndsoSrLauncelotwentntothecty;andSrGawanewasbornentoKngArthur’spavlon,andleecheswerebroughttohm,andsearchedandsalvedwthsoftontments。
AndthenSrLauncelotsad:Nowhavegoodday,mylordthekng,forwtyouwellyewnnoworshpatthesewalls;andfwouldmyknghtsoutbrng,thereshouldmanyamande。Therefore,mylordArthur,rememberyouofoldkndness;andhoweverfare,Jesubeyourgudenallplaces。
OfthesorrowthatKngArthurmadeforthewar,andofanotherbattlewherealsoSrGawanehadtheworseALAS,sadthekng,thateverthsunhappywarwasbegun;foreverSrLauncelotforbearethmenallplaces,andnlkewsemykn,andthatsseenwellthsdaybymynephewSrGawane。ThenKngArthurfellsckforsorrowofSrGawane,thathewassosorehurt,andbecauseofthewarbetwxthmandSrLauncelot。SothentheyonKngArthur’spartkeptthesegewthlttlewarwthoutforth;andtheywthnforthkepttherwalls,anddefendedthemwhenneedwas。ThusSrGawanelaysckthreeweeksnhstents,wthallmannerofleech-craftthatmghtbehad。AndassoonasSrGawanemghtgoandrde,hearmedhmatallponts,andstartuponacourser,andgataspearnhshand,andsohecamerdngaforethechefgateofBenwck;andtherehecredonheght:Whereartthou,SrLauncelot?Comeforth,thoufalsetratorknghtandrecreant,foramhere,SrGawane,wllprovethsthatsayonthee。
AllthslanguageSrLauncelotheard,andthenhesadthus:SrGawane,merepentsofyourfoulsayng,thatyewllnotceaseofyourlanguage;foryouwotwell,SrGawane,knowyourmghtandallthatyemaydo;
andwellyewot,SrGawane,yemaynotgreatlyhurtme。Comedown,tratorknght,sadhe,andmaketgoodthecontrarywththyhands,fortmshappedmethelastbattletobehurtofthyhands;thereforewtthouwellamcomethsdaytomakeamends,forweenthsdaytolaytheeaslowasthouladestme。Jesudefendme,sadSrLauncelot,thateverbesofarnyourdangerasyehavebeennmne,forthenmydaysweredone。ButSrGawane,sadSrLauncelot,yeshallnotthnkthattarrylong,butsthenthatyesounknghtlycallmeoftreason,yeshallhavebothyourhandsfullofme。AndthenSrLauncelotarmedhmatallponts,andmounteduponhshorse,andgatagreatspearnhshand,androdeoutatthegate。Andboththehostswereassembled,ofthemwthoutandofthemwthn,andstoodnarrayfullmanly。Andbothparteswerechargedtoholdthemstll,toseeandbeholdthebattleofthesetwonobleknghts。Andthentheyladtherspearsntherrests,andtheycametogetherasthunder,andSrGawanebrakehsspearuponSrLauncelotnahundredpecesuntohshand;andSrLauncelotsmotehmwthagreatermght,thatSrGawane’shorse’sfeetrased,andsothehorseandhefelltotheearth。ThenSrGawanedelverlyavodedhshorse,andputhssheldaforehm,andeagerlydrewhssword,andbadeSrLauncelot:Alght,tratorknght,forfthsmare’ssonhathfaledme,wtthouwellakng’ssonandaqueen’ssonshallnotfalthee。
ThenSrLauncelotavodedhshorse,anddressedhssheldaforehm,anddrewhssword;andsostoodtheytogetherandgavemanysadstrokes,thatallmenonbothparteshadthereofpassnggreatwonder。ButwhenSrLauncelotfeltSrGawane’smghtsomarvellouslyncrease,hethenwthheldhscourageandhswnd,andkepthmselfwondercovertofhsmght;andunderhssheldhetracedandtraversedhereandthere,tobreakSrGawane’sstrokesandhscourage;andSrGawaneenforcedhmselfwthallhsmghtandpowertodestroySrLauncelot;forastheFrenchbooksath,everasSrGawane’smghtncreased,rghtsoncreasedhswndandhsevlwll。ThusSrGawaneddgreatpanuntoSrLauncelotthreehours,thathehadrghtgreatpanfortodefendhm。
Andwhenthethreehourswerepassed,thatSrLauncelotfeltthatSrGawanewascometohsownproperstrength,thenSrLauncelotsaduntoSrGawane:
Nowhaveprovedyoutwce,thatyeareafulldangerousknght,andawonderfulmanofyourmght;andmanywonderfuldeedshaveyedonenyourdays,forbyyourmghtncreasngyouhavedecevedmanyafullnobleandvalantknght;and,nowfeelthatyehavedoneyourmghtydeeds,nowwtyouwellmustdomydeeds。
AndthenSrLauncelotstoodnearSrGawane,andthenSrLauncelotdoubledhsstrokes;andSrGawanedefendedhmmghtly,butneverthelessSrLauncelotsmotesuchastrokeuponSrGawane’shelm,andupontheoldwound,thatSrGawanesnkeddownuponhsonesdenaswoon。AndanonasheddawakehewavedandfonedatSrLauncelotashelay,andsad:Tratorknght,wtthouwellamnotyetslan,comethounearmeandperformthsbattleuntotheuttermost。wllnomoredothanhavedone,sadSrLauncelot,forwhen
seeyouonfootwlldobattleuponyouallthewhle
seeyoustandonyourfeet;butfortosmteawoundedmanthatmaynotstand,Goddefendmefromsuchashame。Andthenheturnedhmandwenthswaytowardthecty。AndSrGawaneevermorecallnghmtratorknght,andsad:WtthouwellSrLauncelot,whenamwholeshalldobattlewththeeagan,for
shallneverleavetheetllthatoneofusbeslan。Thusasthssegeendured,andasSrGawanelayscknearamonth;andwhenhewaswellrecoveredandreadywthnthreedaystodobattleaganwthSrLauncelot,rghtsocametdngsuntoArthurfromEnglandthatmadeKngArthurandallhshosttoremove。
Herefolloweththe。book。
BOOK
HowSrMordredpresumedandtookonhmtobeKngofEngland,andwouldhavemarredthequeen,hsfather’swfeASSrMordredwasrulerofallEngland,hedddomakelettersasthoughthattheycamefrombeyondthesea,andthelettersspecfedthatKngArthurwasslannbattlewthSrLauncelot。WhereforeSrMordredmadeaparlament,andcalledthelordstogether,andtherehemadethemtochoosehmkng;andsowashecrownedatCanterbury,andheldafeastthereffteendays;andafterwardhedrewhmuntoWnchester,andtherehetooktheQueenGuenever,andsadplanlythathewouldwedherwhchwashsuncle’swfeandhsfather’swfe。
Andsohemadereadyforthefeast,andadayprefxedthattheyshouldbewedded;whereforeQueenGueneverwaspassngheavy。Butshedurstnotdscoverherheart,butspakefar,andagreedtoSrMordred’swll。ThenshedesredofSrMordredfortogotoLondon,tobuyallmannerofthngsthatlongeduntotheweddng。AndbecauseofherfarspeechSrMordredtrustedherwellenough,andgaveherleavetogo。AndsowhenshecametoLondonshetooktheTowerofLondon,andsuddenlynallhastepossbleshestuffedtwthallmannerofvctual,andwellgarnshedtwthmen,andsokeptt。
ThenwhenSrMordredwstandunderstoodhowhewasbeguled,hewaspassngwrothoutofmeasure。Andashorttalefortomake,hewentandladamghtysegeabouttheTowerofLondon,andmademanygreatassaultsthereat,andthrewmanygreatengnesuntothem,andshotgreatguns。ButallmghtnotprevalSrMordred,forQueenGueneverwouldneverforfarspeechnorforfoul,wouldnevertrusttocomenhshandsagan。
ThencametheBshopofCanterbury,thewhchwasanobleclerkandanholyman,andthushesadtoSrMordred:Sr,whatwllyedo?wllyefrstdspleaseGodandsthenshameyourself,andallknghthood?snotKngArthuryouruncle,nofartherbutyourmother’sbrother,andonherhmselfKngArthurbegatyouuponhsownsster,thereforehowmayyouwedyourfather’swfe?
Sr,sadthenobleclerk,leavethsopnonorshallcurseyouwthbookandbellandcandle。Dothouthyworst,sadSrMordred,wtthouwellshalldefythee。Sr,sadtheBshop,andwtyouwellshallnotfearmetodothatmeoughttodo。AlsowhereyenosewheremylordArthursslan,andthatsnotso,andthereforeyewllmakeafoulworknthsland。Peace,thoufalseprest,sadSrMordred,foranthouchafemeanymoreshallmakestrkeoffthyhead。SotheBshopdepartedandddthecursngnthemostorgulstwsethatmghtbedone。AndthenSrMordredsoughttheBshopofCanterbury,fortohaveslanhm。ThentheBshopfled,andtookpartofhsgoodswthhm,andwentnghuntoGlastonbury;andtherehewasaspresthermtnachapel,andlvednpovertyandnholyprayers,forwellheunderstoodthatmschevouswarwasathand。
ThenSrMordredsoughtonQueenGueneverbylettersandsonds,andbyfarmeansandfoulmeans,fortohavehertocomeoutoftheTowerofLondon;butallthsavalednot,forsheansweredhmshortly,openlyandprvly,thatshehadleferslayherselfthantobemarredwthhm。ThencamewordtoSrMordredthatKngArthurhadarasedthesegeforSrLauncelot,andhewascomnghomewardwthagreathost,tobeavengeduponSrMordred;whereforeSrMordredmadewrtewrtstoallthebaronyofthsland,andmuchpeopledrewtohm。ForthenwasthecommonvoceamongthemthatwthArthurwasnoneotherlfebutwarandstrfe,andwthSrMordredwasgreatjoyandblss。
ThuswasSrArthurdepraved,andevlsadof。AndmanytherewerethatKngArthurhadmadeupofnought,andgventhemlands,mghtnotthensayhmagoodword。LoyeallEnglshmen,seeyenotwhatamschefherewas!forhethatwasthemostkngandknghtoftheworld,andmostlovedthefellowshpofnobleknghts,andbyhmtheywereallupholden,nowmghtnottheseEnglshmenholdthemcontentwthhm。
Lothuswastheoldcustomandusageofthsland;andalsomensaythatweofthslandhavenotyetlostnorforgottenthatcustomandusage。Alas,thssagreatdefaultofusEnglshmen,fortheremaynothngpleaseusnoterm。Andsofaredthepeopleatthattme,theywerebetterpleasedwthSrMordredthantheywerewthKngArthur;andmuchpeopledrewuntoSrMordred,andsadtheywouldabdewthhmforbetterandforworse。AndsoSrMordreddrewwthagreathosttoDover,forthereheheardsaythatSrArthurwouldarrve,andsohethoughttobeathsownfatherfromhslands;andthemostpartofallEnglandheldwthSrMordred,thepeopleweresonew-fangle。
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